Headquarters:

Level 3, 4-6 Bligh Street, Sydney, NSW 2000

Year founded:

2015

Number of employees:

Phone:

1300 799 562

Email:

info@emergenceinsurance.com.au

Website:

emergenceinsurance.com

LinkedIn:

linkedin.com/company/emergenceinsurance

“The complimentary services ensure that our clients are better protected and supported, and giving them more peace of mind for an increasingly complex environment”

Katrina Hickson, Emergence Insurance

Troy Filipcevic

Chief Executive Officer and Founder

Colin Pausey

Chief Operating Officer

Katrina Hickson

Head of Distribution

Leadership

Troy Filipcevic is the CEO and founder of Emergence, an underwriting agency dedicated to delivering innovative cyber insurance solutions. His mission at Emergence is to offer comprehensive cyber protection through a combination of extensive coverage, real-time risk management services, 24/7 in-house incident response and cyber advisory services. Before founding Emergence, Filipcevic held several executive roles at Suncorp, where he was responsible for strategic functions, partnering, operational excellence and technology business strategy. He was also a consultant at Deloitte focused on strategy and innovation. His experience in improving business performance and designing technology strategies laid the foundation for his entrepreneurial venture. From its inception, Emergence was focused on cyber insurance, recognising the increasing importance of cyber threats and developing specialised expertise in this area. Under Filipcevic’s leadership, Emergence has transformed the cyber insurance market, offering smarter solutions and setting new standards for cyber risk management.

Chief Executive Officer and Founder

Troy Filipcevic

With more than 40 years of extensive experience in the realms of law, insurance and management, Colin Pausey has worn many hats. He successfully managed underwriting agencies during his tenures in various in-house roles, and he has also provided expert guidance to insurers and underwriting agencies during his career as a lawyer in private practice. Pausey is an insurance law specialist. Before his stint at Emergence, he established and managed the cyber insurance practice at a major national law firm. His involvement with Emergence dates back to the first days of the company. He was the one who crafted the very first Emergence cyber insurance policy and handled claims on behalf of the company. In 2021, Pausey made the strategic decision to formally join the Emergence team, transitioning from his legal career to a key role within the company.

Chief Operating Officer

Colin Pausey

Katrina Hickson brings nearly two decades of experience to the insurance industry. As the current head of distribution at Emergence Insurance, she leverages her strategic insights and ability to foster strong broker relationships to support the business development team, driving business growth and enhancing customer satisfaction. Hickson’s career also includes a notable tenure as the senior manager of specialist operations at BOQ, where she spearheaded broker- and client-focused projects aimed at improving systems and processes, ensuring high-quality service delivery and optimising operational and sales efficiency.

Head of Distribution

Katrina Hickson

Leadership

“A true leader can see potential in different employees, regardless of their position. Listening and recognizing the value of each individual not only inspires them but also makes them grow professionally”

Saray Uribe, CharSan Insurance & Consulting

Leadership

Blake Baxter

Head of Claims and Incident Response

Blake Baxter is an insurance professional with over a decade of experience and a broad background in insurance, accounting and the legal profession. He is a cyber insurance specialist with extensive experience building an incident response and claims handling function. He has worked in the financial lines claims, including professional indemnity, D&O and cyber sectors. He has also worked in corporate insolvency, where his responsibilities have included managing a broad financial lines claims portfolio, liaising with defence counsel and brokers, refining company claims handling policy and managing large and complex losses. Baxter joined Emergence in March 2020 to build an in-house claims handling and incident response function. Having an in-house incident response gives Emergence a competitive advantage, but more importantly, it provides a better response to insureds, enabling them to get back to their best lives faster.

Head of Claims and Incident Response

Blake Baxter

Jeff Gonlin

Chief Underwriting Officer

Jeff Gonlin began his insurance career in 1980 in the US, underwriting a full spectrum of casualty business. After gaining extensive experience internationally, he sought a fresh and fun opportunity. He joined Emergence in 2016, drawn by the dynamic field of cyber insurance and Emergence’s innovative approach. As the chief underwriting officer at Emergence, Gonlin’s mission is to assess and manage cyber risks, shaping and growing the organisation while navigating the dynamic risk landscape. He is leaving his “fingerprints” on the products Emergence is developing, playing a crucial role in achieving Emergence’s vision and ensuring the company’s ongoing success in the cyber insurance sector.

Chief Underwriting Officer

Jeff Gonlin

Emergence Insurance is an underwriting agency that offers holistic protection against the financial, commercial and reputational risks posed by cyber threats. Its mission as a cyber insurance specialist is to provide smarter cyber insurance solutions to businesses and families. “We are Australia’s first standalone cyber insurer. We do not write anything other than cyber insurance,” explains COO Colin Pausey. “What differentiates us from everyone else is that everything from our underwriting, distribution, claims and cyber advisory is all provided by employees based in Australia.” The organisation distinguishes itself by offering more than just insurance policies. Its comprehensive coverage, risk mitigation, cyber risk education and incident response have garnered repeated recognition from Insurance Business as a 5-Star Cyber insurer. The award-winning coverage is supported by an easy-to-use portal that allows brokers to quote and bind in minutes, protecting clients quickly and efficiently. In February 2024, Emergence launched the eighth policy upgrade in nine years for its Cyber Event Protection – 005 (CEP-005). This upgrade features: enhanced coverage to address the evolving cyber threat landscape broader coverage for specific types of cyber incidents increased limits for certain types of cyber incidents new comprehensive services to better support clients “These changes including the addition of complimentary cyber advisory services have been incredibly well received by brokers,” says Katrina Hickson, Head of Distribution.

Nikil Deo

Head of Technology

Marcella McLean

Chief Human Resources Officer

Simon Williams

Chief Strategy and Distribution Officer

Simon Williams

Chief Strategy & Distribution Officer, Arch Insurance International and Active Underwriter, Syndicate 1955

Nikil Deo is an experienced technology professional with over 20 years of technology and cyber experience in the financial services sector. He has been fortunate to have a career spanning the transition from mainframe computing to today’s cloud ecosystem, along with experiencing the evolution of cyber risks along the way. Deo has been fortunate to be involved in a few local firsts, including being the first APAC customer of Microsoft’s BPOS cloud offering and being part of the team that implemented the first “pay as you drive” product in Australia. He is proud to be part of the Emergence team that helps find cyber insurance solutions for the Australian market.

Head of Technology

Nikil Deo

Natalia Child began her career in insurance in 2012 and, since then, has worked in both underwriting and private client broking. She is chartered, has an advanced diploma in insurance and has a law degree. Passionate about education, Child is responsible for delivering the CDP program and the Contract Works Academy, designed to upskill renovation knowledge and increase confidence across the sector.

Head of Broker and Professions CPD

Natalia Child

With over 30 years of experience in the finance and accounting sector, Maxine Owen has worked in a wide variety of industries, including private medical, vehicle, transport and education. When she joined Renovation Underwriting in 2017, Owen brought with her a deep understanding of corporate treasury and the foreign exchange/money market, along with the management of multi-currency exposure with inter-company transactions. She is also an affiliated member of AAT, the professional body for accounting technicians.

Head of Finance

Maxine Owen

Kimi leads the Estate Planning and Wealth Protection team and is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. She understands the complex and delicate nature of family estate planning, the technical requirements around probate and estate administration, and the importance of preserving wealth for future generations. Her advice is accurate, commercial, strategic and tailored to each situation.

Partner

Kimi Shah

Partner

Kimi Shah

Partner

Kimi Shah

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“What differentiates us is that everything from our underwriting, distribution, claims and cyber advisory is all provided by employees based in Australia”

Colin Pausey, Emergence Insurance

“Having four insurance designations, and the wealth of knowledge that comes with it, enables me to better counsel customers regarding the importance of having the appropriate insurance coverage”

Saray Uribe, CharSan Insurance & Consulting

employee benefits regional retail P&C specialty P&C underwriting direct-to-consumer programs

Reducing risk with enhanced cyber services With Smarter Cyber Insurance, policyholders gain access to a virtual chief information security officer who identifies threats and creates actionable strategies. Emergence offers real-time cyber threat intelligence and dark web monitoring tools, alerting clients to data exposure immediately – at no extra cost – with the CEP-005 policy. Additionally, Emergence’s cyber experts help develop incident response plans, providing clear guidance during cyber incidents. Round-the-clock in-house incident response Prompt containment of a cyberattack is crucial. Emergence provides 24/7 support with a dedicated team of cybersecurity experts to help recover and secure systems year-round. When clients contact the hotline, often stressed by their first cyberattack, the skilled incident response team offers reassurance and guidance. Emergence’s commitment to direct, continuous client communication ensures that all incident responses are handled in-house. Pausey says, “With cyber, speed counts, certainly every minute. Imagine being in the middle of a car accident where you call and someone can talk you through the process of how to avoid the worst-case scenario. Our guys are taking those calls and are able to talk the client through the obvious and immediate processes.” And he adds how having an in-house incident response team makes a significant impact: “We feel our results are reflecting much better than perhaps some of our competitors because of the immediacy of our response.”

more than $1 million in funds over $2.3 million in combined monetary and in-kind donations through an annual World Food Derby initiative 2,320 volunteer hours to numerous deserving organizations, making a significant community impact

Insurance brokers as trusted cyber advisors Brokers are vital to Emergence’s Smarter Cyber Insurance approach. The firm equips them with cybersecurity knowledge and tailored solutions, supporting their role as trusted advisors. Emergence offers comprehensive cyber insurance education and access to a broad range of services, ensuring brokers can effectively address evolving cyber threats. Policies are written in clear language, promoting effective communication and robust protection against cyber risks.

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